"Stuck at home after being furloughed in April, Norman Laborde had a lot of time on his hands. His position at a Silicon Valley tech company was deemed redundant when the company tightened spending in response to the pandemic. With no return date in sight, he started to think about his future," Money reports. "That’s when he decided to enroll in a UX/UI Design and Research certificate at Springboard, where he’ll learn how to create products that are both valuable and easy for consumers to use."

"... Despite the appeal of these programs, one drawback is that it can be difficult for students to find money for the programs if you can’t afford to pay the full price upfront. That’s because many certificate programs aren’t eligible for federal financial aid, including student loans.

Megan Walter, policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), says this is mainly due to restrictions imposed by the Department of Education.

Based on the type of college that’s offering them, programs have to meet certain requirements, such as lasting for a certain length of time and providing skills that lead to a related job after completion, to be eligible for federal financial aid, says Walter.

... Walter encourages students to think about the financial implications if they have to take on debt to finance their certificate. 'I would recommend that the student weigh carefully whether or not the possible salary increase or promotion from completing this certificate would eclipse the amount of debt they could acquire from earning the certificate,' says Walter."

NASFAA's "Notable Headlines" section highlights media coverage of financial aid to help members stay up to date with the latest news. Articles included under the notable headlines section are not written by NASFAA, but rather by external sources. Inclusion in Today's News does not imply endorsement of the material or guarantee the accuracy of information presented.

Publication Date: 9/10/2020